Baking ingredients
- 125 g butter or margarine
- 55 g caster sugar
- 180 g plain flour – sieved
Decorating ingredients
- Oval shortbread biscuits
- 500 g Renshaw Original White Marzipan
- Apricot jam - warmed
- Various Rainbow Dust ProGel Colours
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Instructions
Equipment:
Step 1
Rolling pin, palette knife, plastic ribbon cutters, oval and round cutters (various sizes), heart plungers, daisy and blossom plungers, cooled boiled water, brushes, smoother, embossing mats/textured rolling pins.
Baking Instructions:
Step 2
Heat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5.
Step 3
Cream together the butter and sugar until it is nice and smooth then gradually stir in the flour to form a smooth paste.
Step 4
Wrap the shortbread in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Step 5
Knead the dough lightly and roll out to the desired thickness. Using an oval cutter, cut out your oval shapes. Using just the top of the cutter take a small piece out of the top of the ovals to make the owl ears.
Step 6
Place the ovals on a greased and lined baking tray and bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until pale-golden brown.
Step 7
Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a cooling rack for 30 minutes.
Decorating Instructions:
Step 8
Knead the marzipan on a clean, dry surface until pliable. Split into equal sections depending on how many colours you want to use. Add a small amount of gel paste colour to your marzipan sections at a time, then knead in, building up colour as required. Dust surface with a little icing sugar if required then roll out to your desired thickness.
Step 9
Cut the shape of the owl by following the picture guide below. Repeat for the other colours. Use the same oval cutter to cut out the wings. Save any spare shapes as they can be used on a contrasting coloured owl.
Step 10
Brush the front of the biscuit with apricot jam and place the matching owl shape onto the prepared biscuit. Lightly press down.
Step 11
Cut out a circle of marzipan in your desired colour and attach to the owl to make his belly. This part can be textured first using products such as embossing mats, textured rolling pins etc. As an alternative, try making a feather pattern by using small circles or triangles of marzipan and attach these as shown.
Step 12
Attach the wings as shown making sure you overlap the belly slightly. Use a little cooled boiled water to ensure the marzipan shapes stick to each other.
Step 13
Create the eyes with the various sized circle cutters and plungers
Step 14
Create a beak by taking a small ball of marzipan, shape into a cone and flatten. Attach with a little water.
Step 15
Add any other attachments such as flowers in hair, little bow, etc.
